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Life as I knew it was over. Everything I’d worked for was gone in one stupid decision, and as I stared down at the headline on my phone screen, my chest tightened with another round of crippling anxiety.
The device vibrated in my hand, a notification popping up and doing nothing to ease my stress.
Incoming call: Jackie
Nope. No way could I handle her right now.
I knew exactly what she was going to say. There was nothing on earth that would make me answer that call.
“You know, you’re supposed to answer those things when they ring, right?” My brother Luke sidled up next to me, leaning against the side of the stable and joining me in my self-imposed wallow.
“Yeah. Thanks for the sage words of advice, big brother.”
“Something wrong? Aside from the usual?”
The usual meant my miserable failure of a life.
“The label’s gonna drop me. I just saw it on social media. It’s fucking everywhere.”
“Why would they?”
“I went off the grid for months. Of course, they would. I’m a rock star cliche at best and a country music sob story at worst.”
“You’re struggling. There’s a difference.”
I let out a bitter laugh and finally looked at him. His eyes, now ringed in dark circles only worn by the exhaustion of a new parent, were still bright and shrewd.
“What do you know about me?”
“I know you’re my brother and—”
“Am I? We didn’t know that until two years ago. I’m not suddenly just magically close to you now that we found out your dad couldn’t keep his dick in his pants and fucked his sister-in-law.”
Luke pushed off the wall and adjusted his Stetson as he stared me down. “Our dad. And I guess you forgot about the summers you spent with us when we were all kids, huh? We might not have known you were our brother, but I remember you being as close to a brother as you could be back then.”
I sighed, taking off my hat before running my fingers through my hair and replacing the damn thing again.
“You’re our brother. End of story. So, get your head out of your ass and tell me what’s going on.”
“The band broke up. They fucked off and left me behind.”
“Why?”
My gut churned. “Because I’m Killian Wilde now. Didn’t Mav tell you?”
Luke frowned. “No. He’s been a little busy with Clara and the baby, not to mention his hockey team.”
“Well, they officially dissolved the band last week. But it’s been in the works since the night I arrived in Sunrise. I haven’t written a single fucking song in six months, and I’m in breach of contract as of tomorrow because the label wanted me to start a solo album, and I have nothing.”
“Fuck, I didn’t realize it was that bad.”
Shoving my hands into my pockets, I stared out at the land our family owned. Horses grazed the pasture, and a couple of younger mares played together as our brother Sutton rode the fence line.
“I’m not a solo act. I can’t do it. I’ve only ever been good because of the band.”
“But you were the songwriter.”
“Sure, but they were my sounding board. They told me what was good and what was garbage. I can’t do this without them.”
